MEMO TO MAILERS - OCTOBER 2004 (text)
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
VOLUME 39 NUMBER 10
OCTOBER 2004

WHAT'S INSIDE
REPLY MAIL ONLINE
YOU'RE THE BEST
BEFORE YOU SHIP
HOLIDAY MAIL
POSTAL NEWS BRIEFS

BOLD ACTION BUILDS BUSINESS
Postmaster General John E. Potter says bold thinking and bold action by the Postal Service and its customers will keep the U.S. Mail a powerful medium that delivers value and transforms American business.

He told thousands of mailers attending the National Postal Forum that he maintains the pledge made in 2002 that postage rates will remain stable until 2006.

The annual NPF, held last month in Washington, DC, offers the $900 billion mailing industry access to postal experts and the latest mail innovations to help improve profitability, security and efficiency.

Potter called on the industry to join the effort to grow mail volume not only by making it easier to process and distribute the mail, but by spreading the word about the value of mail to small- and medium-sized business owners. Potter said his overriding message is "think bold, take bold action and let's build the business together."

Potter declared that the value of mail to the U.S. economy is often discounted. "But remember, the Postal Service and U.S. Mail are embedded deep in the red, white, and blue that is America … We're out there, every day, on every street, in every neighborhood. The American people just expect the mail will be there. And it is!"

Without the mail, he said, today's specialty and general catalogs that are the direct descendants of major retail companies would not exist. From its earliest beginnings, he said, mail helped build the airline industry, created ZIP Codes for targeted mailings, launched the Direct Mail industry and now links online businesses to the delivery network.

He said the mail "is about staying in touch with customers. It's about reaching out to new customers. It's about personalization. It's about the convenience of having the message delivered to your door. It's about value."

He encouraged mailers to "embrace the next generation of information-rich barcodes" that will allow them to track mail end-to-end and allow the Postal Service to increase the quality of sorting.

Potter committed to involve the mailers in the process. "Remember, this is a partnership. I fully intend to keep our partnership strong," he said.

He called on the mailing industry to spread the word about the "real value in the mail — the mail offers the best choice to communicate. All of us have to spread a simple message: put the U.S. Mail to work for you," said Potter.

REPLY MAIL? IT'S EASY AT USPS.COM
Mailers who use Business Reply Mail (BRM) and Courtesy Reply Mail (CRM) have a new tool to help them build and maintain customer relationships. They can go to the Postal Service's website to design, create and manage mailings using these popular services.

"The primary reason that businesses and organizations use the mail is to get people to respond," says Nicholas Barranca, the Postal Service's vice president for Product Development.

By visiting www.usps.com/replymail, businesses and organizations can design and create BRM and CRM for downloading directly to their printers. The website contains helpful information designed to let mailers get the most from these services.

The website also lets customers obtain ZIP+4 Codes for their BRM and CRM mailings. In addition, BRM customers who are served by PostalOne! offices can apply for BRM permits and pay BRM service fees.

"By providing Internet access, we are adding even more value to both types of reply mail," says Robert Otto, vice president of Information Technology for the Postal Service. BRM allows customers to respond to mailings and offers by using preaddressed, prebarcoded envelopes — without the need for them to apply postage. Mailers using CRM provide their customers with preaddressed, prebarcoded reply envelopes.

YOU'RE THE BEST!
USPS HONORS POSTAL CUSTOMERS AT THE 2004 NPF
At each National Postal Forum (NPF), a select group of postal customers are recognized with appreciation by the United States Postal Service for their contribution to the continued success of the mailing industry.

Congratulations to these Best in Class award winners at the 2004 NPF:

OUT OF THE BOX AWARD
Out of the Box winners take calculated risks to achieve successful solutions. These creative companies devise unique ways to make the mail work for them.

Antares Information
Technologies, Inc.
Anthony Rocco
Vice President of Business
Development —
Credit & Collections

Blockbuster, Inc.
Shane Evangelist
Vice President, Strategic Planning

Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Ray Wajbel
Agency Mail Manager

Current
Suzanne Lavery
Director, Catalog Production

ICOM Information & Communications, Inc.
Raj Thayalan
Director, Supply Chain

MBNA America Bank, N.A.
Elwood Mosley
Executive Vice President,
MBNA Technology

Nu-Kote International, Inc.
Kim Whitehurst-Scott
Envirosmart, Inc., Program Manager

Ofoto
Scott Briggs
Director, Lab Operations

ShipShapes
Tom Becker
President

SMOOTH OPERATOR AWARD
Smooth Operator winners combine best practices, innovative technologies and automation to increase productivity and better serve customers.

Columbia House
Terry Dwyer
Chief Operating Officer

Creative Digital Imaging
Michael Bazinet
President

Fort Worth Star Telegram
Margie Mitchell
Mail Center Manager
Shipping & Receiving Manager

Mailmark Enterprises
Barry Silver
President/Owner

National Geographic Society
Michael Swarr
Director of Magazine Distribution

SourceLink
Dick Brinkmann
Vice President, Information
Services

Special Data Processing
Ray Delacqueseaux
Senior Manager, Mail Service

Sterling Jewelers, Inc.
Rachelle Korland
Mailing List Manager

Xerox Corporation
Ellen Koch
Customer Account Manager

INDUSTRY STAR AWARD
Industry Star winners demonstrate commitment to successful business partnerships with the Postal Service. These partnerships, ranging from training to cost-savings initiatives, enhance the value of services and products the Postal Service offers to all of its customers.

BMG
Carole Morrow
Manager, Address Management & Postal Affairs

Capital One Financial

Scott Barton
Vice President, Supply Chain Management

Central Missouri PCC
Cathy Rupard
Secretary

Columbia House
Terry Dwyer
Chief Operating Officer

Crain Communications
Joyce McGarvy
Corporate Distribution Director

Discover Financial Services
Karin Giffney
Vice President of Marketing

Endicia Internet Postage
Dr. Harry Whitehouse
President

Fidelity Investments
Dave Shepard
Postal Affairs Director

Greater St. Louis PCC
Peggy Smith
Vice Chair

JPMorganChase & Co.
Brad Rappaport
Vice President, Marketing Operations

Merrill Lynch Production Technologies
Ralph Visceglia
Area Vice President, Postal Optimization

Neiman Marcus Direct
Tony Ficken
Manager, Transportation

Nordstrom Direct
Scott Lindgren
Logistics/Transportation Manager

San Juan PCC
Debra Garcia
Industry Co-Chair

State of Florida's Capitol Mail Center
Ron Tuttle
Security Manager

U.S. General Services Administration
Becky Rhodes
Deputy Associate Administrator

U.S. Navy/Naval Supply Systems Command
Alan Hass
Director, Naval Postal
Policy Division

KEEPING POSTED
NEWS FROM AND FOR POSTAL CUSTOMER COUNCILS

PCC LEADERS HONORED AT NPF
More than 100 Postal Customer Council (PCC) co-chairs were honored by Postmaster General John E. Potter at the 2004 National Postal Forum when he called all of them to the stage and awarded each the prestigious Partnership for Progress Award. Potter's gesture at the close of the Sept. 20 general session in Washington was a surprise to the PCC co-chairs, who were attending the annual PCC Leadership Conference.

"If you're not a member of a PCC where you live, join one when you get back home," the Postmaster General told thousands of mailers in the audience. "If you don't have a PCC in your community, get one started. We'll help you do that. And remember, the only way we're all going to grow this industry is to think bold, take bold action, and build the business together."

Also honored with a Partnership for Progress award was USPS Vice President for Service and Market Development John Wargo, who has championed the PCC network for many years. Wargo said he was grateful to receive the honor "at an event where the Postal Service, customers and the mailing industry meet to create new opportunities for the industry. In my world it doesn't get any better than this."

PCC LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE A GREAT SUCCESS
The PCC Leadership Conference attracted the largest number of council chairs and members in many years. For the first time, chairs could participate in a PCC leadership track of workshops — five in all — as well as attend the annual general session.

"Local PCCs continue to offer a unique working relationship to ensure that we fully understand our mailers' service needs and provide the best solutions possible," USPS Chief Operating Officer Pat Donahoe told the conference. "At the end of the day, the purpose of building stronger PCCs is to provide the mailers and the Postal Service a mutual opportunity to grow their businesses."

Chief Marketing Officer Anita Bizzotto highlighted the new PCC Network, an effort to enhance the PCC's role as an education, communications and growth engine. "It's designed to strengthen your councils and to enhance your members' experience. In so doing, we anticipate PCC members will gain a better understanding of mail's value and — through greater use of our products and services — grow their revenues and their businesses. Your success will be ours."

The next PCC Leadership Conference will be held next March in Nashville, TN, at the 2005 National Postal Forum.

GET THE "BEAR" FACTS BEFORE YOU SHIP
Free packaging. No hidden surcharges. Pickup options. A familiar face delivering for you. What's there not to like about shipping your packages with Priority Mail service from the U.S. Postal Service?

It's the obvious choice for businesses that want a quick, easy and convenient way to get their products to their customers. Joe Mediate, owner of Roswell, GA-based Koo Koo Bear Kids, which sells children's furniture, bedding and gifts, switched to Priority Mail to fulfill his catalog orders after learning the "bear" facts about shipping with the Postal Service.

"The Postal Service provides a shipping method which allows us to control our costs and eliminate unknown surcharges that present unexpected shipping overcharges," says Mediate. "The Postal Service also allows us to deliver residential packages by a familiar face — the customer's local mail carrier."

USPS helped Mediate analyze his shipping needs. Most Koo Koo Bear Kids packages weigh less than 10 pounds and almost all of them go to residential addresses. The company found it could save big time on shipping costs by using Priority Mail service and Click-N-Ship, the online shipping solution that allows customers to print shipping labels around the clock. And even more convenient, Koo Koo Bear Kids could notify its Post Office online that it had packages for its carrier to pick up during regular delivery the next day.

Quick. Easy. Convenient. And cost-effective.

Go to www.usps.com for more information, or contact your local USPS account representative.

CLICK-N-SHIP: EVEN BETTER!
Customers asked for it. They got it — insurance online. It's available through Click-N-Ship. Insurance online can be purchased only in combination with online postage. For more information, go to www.usps.com/clicknship.

INFO@USPS
SMALL BUSINESS TOOLS
Get new customers.
Meet customer demands.
Around town or around the world. www.usps.com

SIMPLE FORMULAS
Use the mail to grow your business.
Order a Simple Formulas kit.
800-THE-USPS, ext. AD4433
SEND MAIL FROM YOUR PC
Send postcards, letters, flyers, booklets or greeting cards.
www.usps.com/netpost

THE POSTAL STORE ONLINE
Open 24/7.
Stamps. Subscription services.
Digital Scales.
www.usps.com/shop
SHIPPING INFORMATION
Express Mail, Priority Mail and package support line.
800-222-1811

PRINT POSTAGE ONLINE
Your shipping label is just a Click-N-Ship away.
www.usps.com/clicknship

BRINGING THE POST
OFFICE TO YOU
Visit www.usps.com.

QUESTIONS?
We have the answers.
Rates and mailing information.
ZIP Codes. Post Office location.
Much, much more.
800-ASK-USPS

HOLIDAY MAILING AHEAD
Plan ahead. The Postal Service has set its recommended mailing dates for delivery to military overseas APO/FPO addresses and international destinations by Dec. 25 based on economical air and surface transportation.

To be certain of timely delivery of holiday greeting cards and packages, USPS recommends mailing by the following dates. Items for delivery by Hanukkah should be mailed five days prior to the dates noted below.

Military Mail Addressed To
First-Class Mail Letters/Cards
Priority Mail
Parcel Airlift Mail (PAL) 1/
Space Available Mail (SAM) 2/
Parcel Post

APO/FPO AE ZIPs 090-092
Dec 11
Dec 11
Dec 4
Nov 27
Nov 13

APO/FPO AE ZIPs 093
Dec 6
Dec 6
Dec 4
Nov 27
Nov 13

APO/FPO AE ZIPs 094-098
Dec 11
Dec 11
Dec 4
Nov 27
Nov 13

APO/FPO AA ZIPs 340
Dec 11
Dec 11
Dec 4
Nov 27
Nov 13

APO/FPO AP ZIPs 962-966
Dec 11
Dec 11
Dec 4
Nov 27
Nov 13

1/ PAL: A special service providing air transportation for parcels on a space-available basis, PAL is available for Parcel Post not exceeding 30 pounds in weight or 60 inches in length and girth combined. The applicable PAL fee must be paid in addition to the regular surface rate of postage for each addressed piece sent by PAL service.

2/ SAM: Parcels paid at Parcel Post postage rates are first transported domestically by surface and then to overseas destinations by air on a space-available basis. The maximum weight and size limits are 15 pounds and 60 inches in length and girth combined

International Mail Addressed To
Global Express Guaranteed Global Express Mail
Global Airmail Letters & Cards
Global Airmail Parcel Post
Global Economy (Surface)

Africa
Dec 20
Dec 11
Dec 6
Dec 6
Oct 14

Asia/Pacific Rim
Dec 20
Dec 17
Dec 13
Dec 13
Oct 28

Australia/New Zealand
Dec 20
Dec 17
Dec 13
Dec 13
Oct 28

Canada
Dec 21
Dec 18
Dec 13
Dec 13
Nov 19

Caribbean
Dec 20
Dec 17
Dec 13
Dec 13
Nov 5

Central & So. America
Dec 20
Dec 11
Dec 6
Dec 6
Oct 29

Mexico
Dec 20
Dec 17
Dec 13
Dec 13
Nov 5

Europe
Dec 20
Dec 11
Dec 13
Dec 10
Nov 5

Middle East
Dec 20
Dec 17
Dec 13
Dec 13
Oct 21

MILITARY ADDRESS TIPS:
Use the service member's full name (with or without rank or rating),
military organization or unit and APO/FPO address.

Do not include the country name in any part of the address.

Programs that allowed the general public to send mail addressed to "Any Service Member" are no longer available.

INTERNATIONAL ADDRESSING TIPS:
Place the city or town name and the province or state name on the next line after the street address information.

Put foreign postal codes, if known, in front of the city or town name and on the same line.

Write the name of the foreign country in capital letters on the last line of the address.

THE POST OFFICE THAT'S ALWAYS OPEN: USPS.COM
With the holiday mailing season beginning soon, the Postal Service recommends that customers go online and visit the Post Office that never closes — www.usps.com. Customers can calculate postage, obtain simplified customs forms and select an international mailing service that's right for any mailing need. Visitors to the Postal Service's home page also can purchase stamps, track and confirm mailings and even purchase greeting cards online.

NEW, EASY, SIMPLE CUSTOMER'S GUIDE TO MAILING
The Customer's Guide to Mailing provides clear, concise information on virtually everything consumers need to know about mailing. The free guide, available at Post Offices and online at www.usps.com, includes illustrations, tips and helpful information about changing an address, putting mail on temporary hold and choosing extra services such as Insurance or Delivery Confirmation.

60,000 ADDITIONAL STAMP LOCATIONS
Beyond visiting the Web or the nation's 38,000 Post Offices, there are now 60,000 more locations to purchase stamps. Customers can obtain postage where they see "Buy Stamps Here" signs at 17,000 ATMs and more than 40,000 supermarkets, drug stores and banks.

PACKAGING TIPS:
Select a box that is strong enough to protect the contents.

Leave space for cushioning inside the carton.

Cushion package contents with shredded or rolled newspaper, bubble wrap or Styrofoam peanuts. Plain air-popped popcorn is also good for cushioning; it's inexpensive and environmentally friendly. Pack tightly to avoid shifting.

Always use tape that is designed for shipping, such as pressure-sensitive tape, nylon-reinforced craft paper tape or glass-reinforced pressure-sensitive tape.

Do not use wrapping paper, string, masking tape or cellophane tape.

Put the delivery and return addresses on one side only of the package.

Suggestion: Place a return address label inside the package.

Stuff glass and fragile hollow items, like vases, with newspaper or packing material to avoid damage due to shock. When mailing framed photographs, take the glass out of the frame and wrap it separately.

Remove batteries from toys. Wrap and place them next to the toys in the mailing box.

Take packages that weigh at least 1 pound into the Post Office for mailing.

Purchase packaging products, including tape, envelopes, padded bags, corrugated boxes, mailing tubes and cushioning material from your Post Office. Some locations offer decorative boxes and expander packs that are suitable for mailing gifts.

POSTAL NEWS BRIEFS
POSTMASTER GENERAL REITERATES RATES PLEDGE
Postmaster General John E. Potter says aggressive cost-cutting has resulted in $8.3 billion in expense savings over the last three years, enabling him to reiterate his commitment to maintain current postage rates until 2006.

"The Postal Service will continue to focus on the strategies identified in our Transformation Plan and we will continue to deliver the plan's commitments ahead of schedule," said Potter.

Three years ago the Postal Service committed to take $5 billion in savings and cost avoidances out of the annual spending by 2006. In the first three years, Potter said $4 billion has been saved. He adds he expects to save more than $1 billion in 2005. Career postal employment today is virtually at the same level it was in 1984, just over 700,000, while mail volume has increased by 65 billion more pieces to an additional 48 million new addresses.

Despite a decline in First-Class Mail volumes and persistently high fuel costs, the Postal Service is projecting a sound financial outlook for fiscal year 2005 with it essentially balancing a projected $68 billion budget.

TASK FORCE FOCUS ON INNOVATION
The Mailing Industry Task Force (MITF), a partnership between the Postal Service and the mailing industry, is moving to support two broad strategic objectives: to stimulate mail channel revenue growth and to make mail more effective.

The 2004 National Postal Forum provided the setting for an MITF panel report about the group's new activities, which include the launch of a new business development process, the "Innovative Incubator Initiative." The task force's efforts are "about the need to focus on innovative ways to use existing, powerful products and services, as well as the postal brand," said Deputy Postmaster General John Nolan, a MITF co-chair.

Co-chair Michael Critelli, chairman and chief executive officer of Pitney Bowes, said "the collaborative process we've created continues to be a model for a successful public/private partnership."

Other activities reported by the panel include the restructuring of MITF into subcommittees for three areas of strategic focus: Intelligent Mail and Address Quality, Payment and Pricing, and New Products/Services/Gateway.

For more information go to www.usps.com/strategicdirection/phase2v1.htm.

PASSPORT PROS
Need a passport? The Postal Service offers convenient, one-stop payment and document processing — including Express Mail expedited service to the Department of State for customers who need passports in a rush.

Pick up forms at your local Post Office or download them from www.usps.com/passport.

Ilze Sella
Editorial Services

Frank Papandrea
Art Director

David Ostroff
Designer

Betty Shelton
Purchasing Specialist

Azeezaly S. Jaffer
Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications

John E. Potter
Postmaster General and CEO

Memo to Mailers
is published by U.S. Postal Service
Public Affairs and Communications.
USPS eagle symbol and logotype are
registered marks of the
United States Postal Service.

The following are among the many trademarks owned by the United States Postal Service: USPS®, U.S. Postal Service®, United States Postal Service®, Postal Service™, Post Office™, Priority Mail®, Express Mail®, Standard Mail™, First-Class Mail®, Registered Mail™, Certified Mail™, Delivery Confirmation™, Signature Confirmation™, ZIP Code™, Click-N-Ship®, NetPost® and The Postal Store®. This list is not a comprehensive list of all Postal Service marks.

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MEMO TO MAILERS
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